


through the fury we're holding on

by Leahelisabeth (fortheloveofcamelot)



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Amnesia, Fake Character Death, M/M, Non-Consensual Body Modification, Space Flight, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-16
Updated: 2020-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:02:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23168212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fortheloveofcamelot/pseuds/Leahelisabeth
Summary: “What’s that?” Kevin interrupted, pointing at something small in the corner of the viewscreen.Aaron looked down.  “It’s a smudge.”“It’s trash,” Andrew said.“We should pick it up,” Kevin insisted.  “At least then we won’t be going back empty handed.”Andrew rolled his eyes but hit the thrusters to bring whatever it was into range of their tractor beam.  It looked like a waste cube from another ship, but as they drew closer Andrew realized it was more like a metal box With the dimensions provided by his instruments, it could be a coffin.The crew of the Monster finds some unusual salvage floating in space.
Relationships: Kevin Day/Jean Moreau, Neil Josten & Jean Moreau, Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Comments: 15
Kudos: 213
Collections: AFTG Reverse Big Bang 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my contribution to the AFTG Reverse Big Bang. A big big thank you to adverbialstarlight for creating the art that inspired this. Make sure you give them some love! Also, a big thank you to gluupor, Nikotheamazingspoonklepto, and wishbonetea for helping me out by betaing and helping me with plotting and making it better than I could have on my own.

Nathaniel’s face was in ruins. Bright red fresh cuts overlaid layers of old scars, a palimpsest of violence and neglect. Jean reached out with trembling fingers to push the red curls off Nathaniel’s forehead and check the stitches around his eye. The swelling had yet to go down but there was no heat from infection and the prosthetic hadn’t shifted. It was as good as Jean could make it with his limited skill and it was out of his hands now.

“I’m sorry, Nathaniel,” Jean whispered. “You deserved more from me.” 

Nathaniel’s eyelids fluttered, like he was beginning to wake up from the anesthetic. Jean waited for a moment, hoping he could at least say goodbye, but Nathaniel soon settled back into a deep sleep and Jean knew he was running out of time. Riko would be entering the med bay at six bells, Nathaniel having reached the maximum amount of time allowed for recovery from any injury, no matter how serious.

Jean steeled himself. It was his steady hands, even in the face of stitching up those he cared for, that had made Kengo allow him to study medicine, and it was those hands that Nathaniel needed most. He picked up the syringe from the table beside Nathaniel’s bed and inserted it into the IV, depressing the plunger and watching the blue liquid travel into Nathaniel’s veins. Then, he put the syringe into the incinerator and pushed the button. Light flared and he looked away as the evidence went up in flames.

Nathaniel’s terrified eyes shot open for a mere instant, finding Jean’s in that instant. One hand broke free of his restraints and flailed around, looking for some kind of comfort. Jean clasped it in his, Nathaniel’s face blurring as he stopped trying to hold back the tears. Nathaniel relaxed, harsh breath evening out, pulse slowing, eyes drifting closed, grip loosening, as the heart rate monitor settled into one even tone as his heart stopped beating.

“What happened?” Riko asked from behind Jean, voice bored. “Has the little rat finally kicked it?”

Jean nodded, voice stolen by grief. He took a moment to compose himself before turning to face Riko. He was grinning widely, a familiar light in his eyes that only appeared when he had just watched someone die. He was flanked by two members of the Ravensguard, Tetsuji’s creation, hulking figures in black armor and faceless masks who had once been men and had their minds and memories stolen by the Master’s cruel technology.

“Damn,” Riko said, “I was hoping to get a little more use out of him at least. Can we still salvage the prosthetic?”

Jean forced himself to keep his voice even. “I had already finished the installation when his heart stopped. It’s now keyed to his DNA and will be useless to anyone else.”

Riko came forward and looked down at Nathaniel. “Isn’t that just like the fucker to hold off on dying just long enough to cheat me out of a rare and expensive piece of merchandise. Well, not much left to do but toss him out with the trash. Cut out his tongue for me, will you? I suppose it’s kind of funny. Now I’ll always have the last word.”

Jean shuddered, unable to suppress the reaction. He nodded quickly.

“Well, can’t have him wasting any more of my time,” Riko laughed. “Bring his tongue to me when you’ve finished. I have the perfect place to display it.” He turned around and swept out of the room without a single backward glance, the Ravensguard following behind.

“Fuck,” Jean said, picking up Nathaniel’s hand once more and squeezing it tight. He was already going cold. He allowed himself 60 more seconds of weakness before he carefully laid Nathaniel’s hand on his chest and turned to make arrangements for his space burial.

It was the work of moments to use the bioprinter to make a DNA accurate model of Nathaniel’s tongue and pack it up for Riko, and then Jean was left the most difficult task of all: preparing Nathaniel’s body for burial.

Carefully, he cleaned the last of the blood from Nathaniel’s skin. He wanted to dress him in his finest clothing. Nathaniel deserved a proper burial. But if someone managed to get him out of the coffin, Jean wanted to make sure he bore nothing that would identify him as a Raven. Perhaps they might treat him more kindly. Jean’s hands trembled the most at his next task, picking up his laser scalpel and carefully excising the tattoo from Nathaniel’s cheek, the last thing that would identify him as one of Riko’s chosen.

In comparison, it was easy to pick Nathaniel up and place him in the coffin. He clinically checked the equipment he had added to the bottom, making sure it was functioning properly and would do what it was meant to do.

The only thing he had left to do was to say goodbye. “Whatever you find out there,” Jean whispered around the lump in his throat, “may it be more than what lies behind you. If I can, I’ll come for you.” He leaned forward and pressed his lips to Nathaniel’s swiftly cooling forehead. “Je t’aime, mon frère.”

He closed the lid and turned on the conveyor. It loaded Nathaniel into one of the many trash chutes on the ship. With the final press of a button, Nathaniel was jettisoned into space, leaving Jean to wonder if he had done the right thing.

Andrew rubbed his burning eyes and stared at the star map, hoping it would magically begin to make sense. It continued to look absolutely unfathomable to his untrained eye. As he stared, the hyperspace network shifted again and he threw his stylus down in frustration. He wiped his calculations from the tablet in front of him and started again. If he didn’t figure this out soon, his ship, the Monster, and his crew were never going to make it to their destination.

A noise at the door jolted him out of his concentration. Kevin stood there, shoulders hunched and small, even though he had well over a foot on Andrew.

“What do you want?” Andrew snarled. Kevin shrunk even smaller.

“Aaron wants…” he started.

“Well I don’t want to talk to Aaron. He’s the one who got us in this mess in the first place.” Andrew glared at Kevin.

Aaron pushed his way past Kevin to stand in front of Andrew. “I’ve done it before. But you’ve seen the area; it’s a fucking labyrinth. Whoever designed this part of the network was a sadistic monster. But I’m still the only one with even remotely enough mathematical knowledge to get us out of here.”

Andrew didn’t turn to look up at his brother. “With your luck, we’d find ourselves in the center of this cluster fuck. Not only are there three times the normal number of active tunnels that cross this area of space, they’re constantly changing, disconnecting from their access points and rotating into new ones. There are only two reasons someone would do this. First, they’re hiding something at the center and they don’t want someone to get through and find it, or second, it’s a trap.” Andrew dropped his head into his hands. “So unless you have actual concrete solutions, get out of here and let me figure this out.”

“At least let me help you. The calculations will be easier with two,” Aaron said.

“Look at the viewscreen. Do you see the Tangela Nebula? Are we somewhere along trade route 569-8? Is there, somewhere in that vast expanse of nothingness, an abandoned spaceship full of valuable tech and cargo for us to salvage?” Andrew asked, glaring at his brother.

Aaron shrank back. “No,” he said, “but…”

“Then what makes you think I’m going to let you get anywhere near our navigation systems again?” Andrew dismissed him by turning back to his calculations.

“What’s that?” Kevin interrupted, pointing at something small in the corner of the viewscreen.

Aaron looked down. “It’s a smudge.”

“It’s trash,” Andrew said.

“We should pick it up,” Kevin insisted. “At least then we won’t be going back empty handed.”

Andrew rolled his eyes but hit the thrusters to bring whatever it was into range of their tractor beam. It looked like a waste cube from another ship, but as they drew closer Andrew realized it was more like a metal box With the dimensions provided by his instruments, it could be a coffin.

“Let’s just leave it,” Aaron said. “Something doesn’t seem right.”

That more than anything convinced Andrew to get into position and bring it on board. He stared Aaron blankly in the face and pressed the button to activate the tractor beam.

“I guess you can keep an eye out for other ships while Kevin and I check out our new cargo,” Andrew said. “Are you going to blow us up if we leave you unsupervised?”

Aaron extended his middle finger toward Andrew but took his place in front of the screen. He looked at the calculations but at a furious glare from Andrew, he held his hands up in surrender.

Andrew went down the hallway to the stairs at the rear of the ship and descended into the cargo bay that ran the whole length of the ship. The tractor beam collection point was on the right side and inside it was the box.

The box was a dark grey colour and made from what looked like a solid block of metal. There was a tight seam that ran around it about halfway up the side but it was not immediately apparent how to open it. There were no logos or insignia to suggest where it might have come from. Andrew gestured for Kevin to help him move it out into the room so they’d have enough space to investigate it. There were no handles and it was too heavy to just pick up so they slid it along the floor.

Andrew leaned in close. The box was cold, but not frozen like he would have expected from something that had been in deep space. He carefully walked around it, looking for some kind of control panel or lock, but each side of it was featureless and smooth.

Kevin reached out and pressed his palms to the metal on top of the box. A faint hissing sound came from inside and a previously invisible panel slid away and exposed a series of depressions in the metal.

“How did you know how to do that?” Andrew asked.

Kevin shrugged. “It seemed right.”

“Can you get it open?” Andrew asked, bending over the box to get a closer look.

“It’s a biometric lock,” Kevin said. “There’s no way this thing has my fingerprints and DNA on file.”

“How does it work?” Andrew touched one of the depressions and yanked his hand back as he felt a small electric shock. “Is there another way to get in?”

“I mean, we could probably take a laser to it,” Kevin said, spreading his hands and placing the tips of his fingers in the depressions. A quiet click sounded and the lid raised a few inches, white steam billowing out and crawling along the floor. “It must not have been keyed to anyone specific.”

They raised the lid together. Andrew should have trusted his instincts; it was a coffin. Bile rose in his throat as he took in the sight before him. The man in the coffin was young, perhaps even younger than Andrew, and whatever had happened to him, it had been an act of violence. He was wearing nothing but a scrap of cloth around his hips. Every exposed bit of skin was mottled and purple with bruising. He was sewn together with rough black stitches like a patchwork doll, almost past the point of mending. Andrew could barely see the shape his face had been. His nose showed signs of past breaks and the skin was tight and swollen around the man’s left eye. The past scarring showed he had not just had a violent death, his life had not been particularly kind either.

“Shit,” Kevin said. “Should we put it back?”

Andrew swallowed back the sickness rising in his throat and nodded, reaching for the lid of the coffin to seal away the horrible sight but he halted as a single blue spark travelled lazily across the man’s skin and sunk into his skin right over his heart. The man’s eyes shot open, one bright blue, the other only half-open to reveal something black and mechanical, and he sat up and screamed.

“Shit, shit, shit,” Kevin said, reaching into the box to hold the man down. The man flinched violently away and tried to scramble up and over the side of the box.

“Stop,” Andrew barked, his voice as loud and intimidating as he could make it.

The man did, a blankness falling across his face. He pulled his knees to his chest and curled up, waiting for a blow.

“I’m not going to hit you,” Andrew said.

“Are you alright?” Kevin asked. “It’s okay. Andrew sounds scary but you’re safe here.”

The man’s right eye widened and he stared at Kevin with a look of barely concealed terror. “You’re dead,” he blurted out.

Kevin jerked back like he’d been burned. “Do you know me?” he asked, voice hoarse.

A mask slid over the man’s mangled face. “No.” He shook his head. “I must have confused you for someone else.”

Kevin slumped, disappointment and relief mingling equally on his face.

“Who are you and what are you doing out here?” Andrew snapped his fingers to get the man’s attention.

The man was apparently done with his momentary panic. “I could ask you the same question,” he said, standing up as smoothly as his many injuries would allow. “This isn’t exactly the safest area of space.”

“At least I’m not stupid enough to navigate it while unconscious and alone in a floating coffin.” Andrew raised one eyebrow and stared the man down.

“I’ll concede the point that my lack of consciousness was not ideal but to be alone is my choice.” An unsettling smile stretched the man’s face.

“Never heard the phrase ‘safety in numbers’?” Andrew sneered at him.

“Oh, I have,” the man dismissed him with an elegant wave of his bloody, stitched up hand. Andrew’s stare was drawn to it and he wondered how something so broken could also look so graceful. “Tell me, stranger, of the two of us, who has more to lose?”

“So you’re telling me you want me to knock you out again and send you back to your airless grave?” Andrew grinned, sharp and dangerous.

“No,” the man said, a little too quickly to keep his mask from slipping.

“I thought not,” Andrew turned, not waiting to see if the others would follow. “But enough of the witty repartee. I need to make sure Aaron hasn’t gotten us even more lost.”

He took a quick detour to his room to grab a spare set of clothing for the man; nothing special, just a pair of work pants and one of his soft shirts that he wore on days when everything seemed a little too sharp and loud. The pants were a couple inches short of his ankles and they stretched tightly over the man’s frankly impressive thighs, while the shirt hung loose around his shoulders, a few of his scars on display at the edge of the stretched out neckline. The shoes were also a little big but it was Nicky’s job to keep the hallways swept and Nicky wasn’t here. This stranger didn’t need to lose any more blood by slicing his feet open on a random piece of debris.

Andrew was several steps ahead of them by the time he reached the navigation room again. Kevin hovered around the other man, who carefully avoided leaning on Kevin or accepting any help, even as he winced at every step.

Aaron looked up at him with red eyes when he entered. “It’s no fucking use,” he said dully as the map changed again. I keep thinking I have it worked out and it changes again. And there’s no pattern to the changes so I’m starting over from scratch every time.”

“You’re all a bunch of fucking idiots,” the man said as he finally entered the room behind him. 

“Hey,” Aaron protested. “Who the hell do you think you are?”

The man held up his hands and laughed without warmth or mirth. “Either you fucked up the math and got here by accident or you meant to come here. One makes you careless, the other reckless, and either one will get you killed out here. What definition of idiot do you subscribe to that you can contest my statement?”

“If you’re so smart, get us out of here,” Aaron snarled.

The man rolled his eyes and limped forward into the room. “Where are you trying to go?”

“Palmetto Salvage Yard,” Andrew said, showing the man the location on the screen “Can you get us there?”

“No,” the man snapped. “At least not in less than five jumps. Seriously, how the fuck did you find this place by accident?”

Andrew fixed Aaron with a glare until Aaron looked stubbornly ashamed.

As they were staring each other down, a proximity alarm went off on the dashboard.

“And now we have incoming. I need a place we can get to in three jumps or fewer, preferably with a lot of other ships going in and out so we can blend in. Otherwise, we are not making it out of this alive,” the man said, looking at Andrew.

Aaron rolled his eyes. “Isn’t that a little dramatic…” he started.

Andrew cut him off by shoving him out of the chair and pulled up another map. “Can you get us there?” 

“Dump the coffin. We can’t take the chance that they can track it,” the man said. 

Andrew reached over to the control panel and pressed a button to jettison the box.

The man took Aaron’s recently vacated seat and squinted at the screen for ten infinite seconds. He nodded and input coordinates for two jumps, doing the calculations in his head instead of on the screen. The overhead lights dimmed as space stretched and folded around them.

They popped out and Andrew breathed a sigh of relief as Eden’s Twilight came into view.

“We’re not safe yet,” the man said. “Do you have a portable scrambler?”

“I’ve got a holoscreen with network capability,” Kevin offered.

The man nodded and held his hand out to Kevin.

Kevin looked puzzled but handed it over.

The man ripped open the back and grabbed the small set of tools that Andrew had left sitting around the last time he was working on repairs. Andrew couldn’t see what exactly he was doing but after a few minutes, the man closed it back up and slipped it into his pocket with the tools.

“Hey,” Kevin protested. “I wanted to keep that.”

The man glared. “Would you rather keep this tech or to continue living? I’ll give it back once I can figure out what kind of trackers they have on me and how to disable them. Until then, you can live without it.”

Kevin shut up.

“I don’t know if they got a good look at the ship so we should disembark for now. Bring anything that cannot be replaced,” the man said.

Aaron went pale and ran down the hall toward his quarters, coming back seconds later with a small bag that Andrew could only guess the contents of.

Kevin didn’t grab anything and Andrew felt in his pocket, relaxing when he felt the familiar shape of the thick round disc. He took the controls back from the man and began the familiar process of docking with Eden’s Twilight.

“Lead the way,” the man said. 

Andrew brought his hand up in a mocking salute and led the way off the ship and into the outer rim of Eden’s Twilight.

The man looked around with curiosity and Andrew tried to see it with fresh eyes. This place had once been a scientific space station. It had been decommissioned and removed from orbit when it had been bought by one of the former salvage bosses and repurposed into a trading center/bar/intel place for their entire community. In the rim, it didn’t look like much, dingy hallways and harsh fluorescent lighting and the constant smell of metal and ozone. There was no gravity here so they had to pull themselves along the railing welded to the side walls. Andrew led the way through the hallways to the entrance into the drum. A big humanoid alien, probably two feet taller than Andrew but hairless and with a faint blue cast to his skin, floated cross-legged in the air by the entranceway, a square iron door set in the floor below him. Andrew didn’t know him well but remembered his name was Geven.

“Haven’t seen you around in a while, Minyard,” Geven grinned, exposing a mouthful of crooked, red teeth.

“You know I can never stay away for long.” Andrew smirked. He pulled himself forward to go through the door.

“Not so fast,” Geven said, holding out one beefy arm. “I know your twin and the foundling but I don’t know the cyborg.”

“Na...Neil.” The man pushed off the wall and gracefully grasped hold of the railing on the other side, close enough to reach out a hand but not close enough to accidentally touch. “Minyard was short a navigator and I’m filling in until he finds someone more permanent.” Neil’s face was completely guileless. He smiled, open and friendly, and Andrew was suddenly struck with the feeling that Neil was very dangerous indeed.

“You vouch for him?” Geven asked.

Andrew nodded and Geven activated his mag boots so he had the leverage to drag open the heavy door to grant them entrance to the drum. It was always disorienting, switching from no gravity in the rim to the gravity of the drum. Aaron and Kevin prefered to climb through headfirst so they’d be right side up once the effects hit. Andrew would rather go feet first and flip off the ladder. Neil followed his lead. He expected Neil to stumble but he was as graceful in this as he was in everything else and found his feet with barely a wince.

Andrew felt his tense shoulders relaxing as he took in the chaos of Eden’s Twilight. He had lived here years ago, before Wymack recruited him to captain one of his salvage ships, and it still felt like home. The music was loud with pounding bass and indistinguishable melodies. The lights were brightly coloured and flashing. The floor curved up and away from him, people drinking and dancing up the sides. If he squinted, he could see past the giant mirrored ball, hovering in the center of the room like a miniature sun to where more people were dancing, upside down and far above his head.

Neil had his head craned back, mouth dropping open in awe.

“Follow me,” Andrew shouted into Neil’s ear. Neil jumped and flinched away from him.

Aaron and Kevin had already found a table and Andrew made a note of the section before he made his way to one of the many circular bar counters that dotted the interior of the drum. Neil stuck close, probably more because he was out of his element in this place and not because he had any particular desire to be near Andrew.

Andrew was relieved when he saw Roland behind the counter. Most of the other bartenders could be bought with a price but he knew Roland and he trusted him, at least in a transactional sense.

“Andrew,” Roland purred. “I wasn’t expecting you back here for at least another moon. I guess today is my lucky day.”

“If you consider doing me a favor lucky,” Andrew said, straightening up to put an imperceptible amount of distance between them.

Roland noticed and narrowed his eyes. “Not a pleasure visit this time, I take it?” He nodded at Neil who was practically attached to Andrew’s side yet still keeping a careful three inches between their bodies at all times. “Who’s your friend?”

“He’s nobody. And he was never here,” Andrew said, setting his face for intimidation.

Roland nodded, the movement small and nearly undetectable if Andrew wasn’t watching so closely. He looked around for a moment and raised a section of the counter to allow Andrew to follow him. Then he pulled open a trap door in the floor, revealing what looked to be a hidden room for drink storage. Andrew gestured for Neil to climb down but the other man took one look at the space and his face turned white.

“Andrew, I can’t,” he whispered, and for the first time Andrew saw something like truth on his face.

“I’m not dumb. There are people after you, aren’t there?” Andrew asked.

“I don’t know,” Neil said. “Probably.”

“And if they aren’t here for you, they’ll probably at least recognize you. I’m not jeopardizing the safety of my crew because you don’t like enclosed spaces,” Andrew stepped closer to Neil, forcing him to give ground.

A commotion started over by one of the entrance ladders and Andrew instinctively turned to watch. A tall man dressed all in red, with slicked black hair and a cruel mouth had stepped off the ladder and was searching through the crowd for someone. He was pulling off hats and cloaks, anything that could obscure the face, and throwing the people aside when they weren’t the one he was looking for. They were far enough away that he hadn’t seen them yet but he was quickly working his way toward their location. Andrew had never seen him before, although there was something about the jawline, also maybe the shape of the nose, that reminded him of someone. When he turned back, Neil had jumped down into the storage area and sat in the small square of light coming from the club. His knees were pulled up to his chest and he wrapped his arms around them, hands shaking.

Andrew considered leaving him there alone to hide, but twins were memorable. Kevin and Aaron together would hardly stand out. So he jumped down after Neil and waited as Roland pulled the door shut above him.

Neil was silent. The darkness was nearly complete. A small glow emanated from one of the corners and there was a sliver of light around the trap door above their heads.

For a long while, Andrew was content to sit in silence. He was used to long stretches of time without conversation, but he was less okay without some kind of stimulation. There was nothing down here but bottles of liquor and boxes and jars containing the ingredients needed for Eden’s very limited menu. When Andrew got bored, he tended to get destructive and he couldn’t do that if he wanted to remain on good terms with Roland.

“Know any good jokes?” Andrew asked, when fidgeting stopped being enough to distract himself.

“What?” Neil asked, voice strained. “What’s a joke?” 

Andrew was shocked into silence for a long moment. “Pathetic,” he finally said. “How did you get to be your age and never learn what a joke is?”

He could see Neil’s shrug in the dim light but he didn’t answer.

“It’s a story or a question someone asks designed to make you laugh,” Andrew said after another long stretch of silence.

“That’s why then,” Neil said. “Laughter wasn’t exactly encouraged.”

“Where?” Andrew asked. “Where did you come from?”

Neil fell back into silence.

“You seem to have this enigmatic shit down pat,” Andrew said when the last of his patience began to evaporate. “But here’s the thing. I have a ship and a crew. If anyone I meet poses a threat to us, I need to know. I am perfectly willing to take you where you want to go...unless it becomes too dangerous. I will not stick my neck out for you if it means sacrificing the well being of my people.”

“Nice speech,” Neil snorted. “Do you say that to everyone you find floating unconscious in the middle of space?”

“Only the ones who have clearly been beaten and tortured and abandoned for reasons unknown,” Andrew growled.

“Touche,” Neil said. “I’m not a danger to you.”

“That man who walked in just before we came down here, did you recognize him?” Andrew asked.

Neil hugged his knees closer to his chest. “Yes,” he said. “But if we wait until he gives up, we should be fine. I’m almost certain he thinks I am dead.”

“What makes you so sure of that?” Andrew asked.

“Because the box you found me in...it was a coffin. And Ri...that man does not have the knowledge or the observational skills to recognize the life support system that kept me alive. If he doesn’t see me, he’ll continue to assume I’m floating dead in space,” Neil said.

Andrew grunted in response and let the silence fall around them once more.

“Who was he?” Andrew finally asked.

For a long time, he didn’t think Neil was going to answer.

“That was Riko Moriyama.”


	2. Chapter 2

Andrew was startled out of a light doze as the trap door opened above them. Neil’s head shot up and he scrambled back from the light. A moment later, Roland jumped down into their hiding place.

“My shift is ending. Fernando is taking over for me and he won’t take kindly to strangers hiding down here. I’m afraid you’ll have to leave,” Roland said apologetically.

Andrew nodded and pulled himself up through the trap door. He glanced around quickly but didn’t see Riko anywhere. It didn’t mean he wasn’t on the opposite side of the drum but if Andrew couldn’t see him, it was unlikely he would find them in the crowd.

He looked back in the hole and jerked his head toward where he had last seen Aaron and Kevin. “It’s as good a time as any to make our escape.”

It was anticlimactic in a way. Andrew signalled to Kevin and Aaron on his way by and they immediately left their table and followed. Their ship had not been touched and none of the ships they saw docked to the station even resembled the ship that had followed them.

Andrew had done the jumps between Eden’s Twilight and Palmetto Salvage so many times that he probably could have gotten them there in his sleep. Soon they were safe once more.

Nicky was waiting for them just inside the dome when they landed. Andrew winced. He could still see the bruises on Nicky’s face even though the swelling had gone down. He didn’t look happy, or angry for that matter; he just looked sad. Andrew shoved any hint of guilt he was feeling down deep and strode past his cousin toward the entrance of the Court.

Neil followed closely behind him while Kevin and Aaron stayed back in the ship to unload their meagre cargo.

“Who’s this, Andrew?” Nicky asked, his face quickly going from sad to lecherous. “He’s a cutie. Do you have dibs? Tell me you don’t have dibs.”

Andrew glared fiercely at him and Nicky held his hands up in defense.

“Sorry, I was just asking. You know Erik’s been away for months and he doesn’t mind a bit of innocent flirtation.” Nicky winked at Neil. “Erik’s my fiance. We’re totally in love.”

Andrew saw the look of confusion mixed with uncertainty on Neil’s face. “Nicky, run ahead and tell Abby to get set up.”

Nicky immediately shifted into worried mode. “Someone’s hurt? Why didn’t you tell me that first?” He ran off, long legs eating up the distance between the edge of the dome and the Court.

Neil sighed in relief as Nicky left them. “What is this place?” he asked.

“We’re on one of the largest asteroids in the Bradbury Quadrant,” Andrew said. “Designation P41-M3770. This is Palmetto Salvage.” He could tell Neil wanted to ask more questions but Andrew was over conversation at the moment.

Neil seemed to read that on his face because he shut up and looked around instead.

They were in a large dome on the surface of the asteroid. It wasn’t much, but there was a breathable atmosphere inside over the bare rock. Piles of old broken machinery and other space debris dotted the ground around them. Ahead of them was a large quonset with a faded sign reading “Palmetto Court.”

Andrew led Neil toward the door and pushed his way through. They were standing in a small room full of broken down couches, a pool table with faded green felt, and a vintage vending machine all the way from Earth Prime. Renee looked up at them from where she was curled up on one of the couches with a book.

“Andrew, you’re back.” She smiled and came over. She said nothing about Neil even though Andrew could see the curiosity on her face.

Nicky burst into the room from a different door, panting loudly. “Abby’s ready,” he said.

Andrew nodded and motioned with his head for Neil to follow him into the room Nicky had just vacated. He shut the door in Nicky’s face and led Neil down the hall to the infirmary.

“Oh dear,” Abby said when she saw them. “What did you get up to this time?”

Andrew just gave her a look.

“Alright, alright. I’ll let you be enigmatic for now.” She smiled fondly at Andrew. “Hop up.” She addressed Neil, patting the examination table she was standing beside. 

Neil shrunk away from her, fear on his face. He put Andrew between them. “I’m fine,” he said.

Andrew snorted. “You were half dead in a space coffin less than a day ago. Has the definition of ‘fine’ changed since I learned it?”

Abby managed to keep most of her alarm from showing on her face but Andrew knew her too well.

“She won’t touch you unless she has to,” Andrew said.

“Andrew, thank you for bringing him but perhaps you should step out and give us some privacy,” Abby said gently.

“No,” Neil protested quickly. “Andrew can stay.”

Andrew had a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach at Neil’s words, yet another thing to shove down deep and never refer to again. He crossed his arms and stared Abby down, letting her know he had no intention of leaving Neil alone.

Abby rolled her eyes but began her examination, starting with the bruises on Neil’s face and the swollen puffiness of his eye. “What was the original trauma to your eye?” she asked. “I only ask because it doesn’t seem like they allowed the socket to heal properly before installing the prosthetic. I think it’s healing okay but you’ll want to keep a close watch on it to avoid infection.”

“Original trauma?” Neil asked.

“Yeah, the accident that caused you to lose your eye. Or was it an illness? It’s a little more rare but possible,” Abby explained as she motioned for Neil to tip his head back.

“There was no original trauma,” Neil said. “It’s an enhancement.”

Abby’s hand faltered, causing her to miss Neil’s eye with the eye drops. They fell on his cheek, hanging there like tears.

“You cut your eye out on purpose?” Abby asked, fighting to keep her voice even as she successfully put in the eye drops. “Blink a couple times for me, honey.”

“It wasn’t exactly my choice,” Neil said bitterly.

To her credit, Abby didn’t react again. “Shirt off,” she said with only a tiny quiver in her voice.

“No,” Neil said. 

“I need to see…” Abby said.

“There is nothing you need to see,” Neil growled.

“Neil,” Andrew said.

“I said no.” Neil hugged himself, as if afraid they would remove his clothing by force.

Andrew felt the urge to protect him rising up in his throat like bile. “Abby, he said no.”

Abby backed off. “Okay, but I need to listen to your lungs and check for broken ribs. I can do that over your shirt but you have to promise me that if you start feeling excessively dizzy, cold, or like you can’t catch your breath, you will tell me immediately.”

“Cross my heart,” Neil said sarcastically. But he submitted as she listened to his lungs with a stethoscope and prodded at his ribs with her fingertips.

“You’ll live,” Abby said when she was finished. “I am going to get you some antibiotic drops for that eye. Excuse me a moment.”

She left them in the examination room alone.

Andrew expected the silence to continue like it had in the cellar at Eden’s Twilight but Neil spoke almost immediately.

“What happens now?” he asked.

“What do you mean?” Andrew asked.

“Well, you’ve pulled me out of that coffin and you’ve taken me to your home base and gotten me fixed up. So now what? Do you want money? Am I now obligated to work off my debt to you for the next ten years?” Neil glared defiantly, as if to say Andrew wouldn’t be the first to try to break him and he sure as hell wouldn’t be the last.

“As I’m sure you could tell by the clusterfuck we were in when you found us, my crew could use a reliable navigator,” Andrew said, watching the fire ignite in Neil’s intact eye. “But you are free to leave any time you wish.”

The rage in Neil died away and was replaced by confusion.

“Pick a place and we’ll leave you there, no questions asked. But before you make that decision, hear me out.” Andrew waited for Neil’s slight nod before continuing. “You don’t really have anywhere to go. And before you argue with me on that point, might I remind you that you were in a coffin floating in space and whoever put you there also cut out your eye and beat you? You can run. No one is stopping you. But if you stay, you’ll have a place to live, something resembling purpose, and you’ll have me at your back.”

“I’ll need to think about it,” Neil said carefully.

Andrew nodded. They were interrupted then by Abby returning with the eye drops.

“Okay, you’ll want to put three drops in your eye three times a day for the next week and then after that, only if it feels irritated. I don’t see any signs of infection yet but if you start to feel pressure behind the prosthetic, unusual headaches, or if you start crying blood or other fluids, please come back right away.” Abby smiled, a little misty-eyed. “Andrew, can I talk to you for a moment?”

Andrew nodded and followed her out into the hallway.

“Where did you find him?” she asked.

“Abby,” Andrew protested.

“Are we in danger? I’m not telling you to turn him out. But after Kevin...I just want to make sure we’re prepared if this turns into another shit storm.” Abby reached out toward his face.

Andrew side-stepped her hand out of instinct but couldn’t help feeling a little bit of regret when her face fell.

“I trust you, Andrew,” she said. “And I’m proud of the man you’ve become. Just...be careful. You almost died. I don’t want to see that happen again.”

Andrew stepped closer and let her put her hand, featherlight, on his shoulder. She relaxed slightly and smiled at him.

“I should get back in there and watch him,” Andrew said. “I’m still not sure he should be left unsupervised.”

Abby nodded. “Let me know if you need anything else.”

Andrew walked back into the room. Neil was still on the examination table but he was panting lightly and while things mostly looked like they had when he left, his sharp eye and eidetic memory meant he could see that a couple rolls of gauze and some over the counter painkillers were no longer on the shelves. But nothing controlled or dangerous was missing so he held his tongue.

“Come with me,” Andrew said, striding down the hallway without waiting to see if Neil would follow. He could hear Neil’s footsteps as the other man came after him. Neil was still limping but he didn’t seem to have any real trouble keeping up.

Neil didn’t say much until Andrew opened a door and led them back out under the dome toward the ship.

“Where are we going?” Neil took a few quick steps so he was walking beside Andrew instead of behind him.

“I don’t like coming back empty-handed,” Andrew said.

“Technically, you didn’t,” Neil argued.

“Without anything of value,” Andrew amended. He expected Neil to argue the point but Neil just glared. “We’re going on a trial run.”

“Why?” Neil stopped walking, forcing Andrew to turn and face him. “I haven’t said I’m staying.”

“You said you wanted to think about it. Might as well do something useful while you’re thinking,” Andrew said. When Neil didn’t argue further, he walked on.

Neil followed him into the ship.

There were two sets of stairs immediately inside the entry hatch. “You remember the cargo bay,” Andrew said, gesturing to the downward set of stairs.

Neil nodded so Andrew led him up the stairs. “The kitchen is through that door on the right. Nicky, when he’s travelling with us, has a little room that connects to it. The crew quarters are on the left. There are three small rooms just big enough to fit a hammock and a locker and another that’s bigger and doubles as my office.”

Neil pressed a hand to the door but it was locked and Andrew made no move to put his hand on the biometric scanner to open it.

“One of those rooms will be yours if you decide to stay,” Andrew said before leading Neil up the hallway to the front of the ship and into the control room. Now that they weren’t in any immediate danger, Andrew let Neil take a look around. Neil ran a hand along the controls gently, almost reverently.

“Have you ever flown?” Andrew asked.

Neil nodded. “I was trained as a navigator but I had to know how to do every task on board.”

“Who trained you?” Andrew asked.

Neil hesitated. “This interrogation is a little one-sided.”

“Fine, no interrogation, a conversation. You give me a truth and I’ll give you one in return.”

Neil hesitated for even longer but finally nodded. “How long have you had this ship?”

“About four years,” Andrew said. “Who trained you?”

“No one specific. I had a lot of teachers who taught me one thing and then I never saw them again,” Neil admitted. “How did you come to be working at Palmetto Salvage?”

Andrew paused, trying to choose his words carefully. “Not a lot of people wanted to hire a young man who came as a package deal with a juvenile delinquent and a recovering addict. Wymack is...different.”

“Which one are you: the young man, the delinquent, or the addict?” Neil teased.

Andrew just leveled him with a long stare. “Who cut out your eye?”

“Riko,” Neil said, his gaze unfocusing as if he were replaying a memory.

“The delinquent,” Andrew said in response, snapping Neil out of his reverie. “Are you going to bring Riko down on my family and friends?”

Neil looked at him, panic swimming behind his eyes. “Riko thinks I’m dead. If I hide and don’t do anything that exposes me, he’ll never know the difference. But if he does find out, then no one is safe. But I’m going to do whatever I can to stay alive.” His panic was replaced by defiance. “So if you brought me out here to try and kill me, I’m warning you, I won’t go down without a fight.”

Andrew had the sudden and extremely rare urge to laugh. In the moment, he so much resembled the spitting kittens of Nogga Moore that he wasn’t sure if he should tie him up before he got into mischief or take him home.

“I told you, I didn’t want to go back home empty-handed. We’re going to the Tangela Nebula, in the fourth quadrant of trade route 569-8. That’s where we were trying to go when Aaron got us so fucking lost. There was a ship malfunction there. Everyone was evacuated but the ship was written off as a lost cause. We’re going to strip it for usable parts and see if any cargo got left behind. It’s likely the delay means there isn’t much left to be salvaged but I want to at least try,” Andrew explained. “Feel free to take your time, but I want you to fly us there. I want to see how much training you’ll need before I can trust you with my crew.”

Neil’s eyes lit up, although he tried to keep his face impassive. “I can fly her too?” he asked in hushed reverence.

“With me looking over your shoulder, but yes, it’s past time we had someone else on the crew who can relieve me on long trips.”

Neil grinned and it was the most honest expression Andrew had seen on his lying face so far. “Do I have to go the most direct route? Or can I put her through her paces?”

“Be my guest,” Andrew said. He was a little nervous as he watched Neil playing around with the controls. Thankfully they were a similar height so he didn’t have to mess with the settings. It was one of the reasons he had said no when Nicky wanted to learn to fly...one of many reasons.

But Neil knew what he was doing. He had a smooth takeoff and had the engine purring like a kitten under his hands. At no point did he stop to run through calculations. He didn’t even bother to write them down. He glanced at the coordinates and did the calculations in his head. It made for a much smoother and even a little quicker trip than usual despite Neil taking a few detours. Since Aaron had taken over the job as navigator, it was a frequent occurrence for them to take a few extra short jumps in the vicinity as Aaron revised his numbers.

When they reached the stalled ship, it was still mostly intact. If other salvage crews had found it already, there were no outwardly visible signs.

Andrew left Neil to dock with the ship and went rummaging through the storage area for Aaron’s helmet and life support suit.

“Here,” he said, handing it to Neil. “This should do for now.”

Neil tried it on. It was a tight fit over the thighs and the legs were only barely long enough to seal to the boots but it was airtight and would keep him alive if a little less than comfortable.

Andrew nodded once and led the way to the airlock, Neil scrambling to keep up with him. He grabbed the gravi-cart from beside the door and piled up a couple of their all purpose bags.

The ship was cold and dark. Andrew pressed on one of the light panels but there wasn’t even a flicker. He engaged the powerful magnets on the bottom of his boots and gestured for Neil to do the same. No power systems were running, not life support or artificial gravity. Either the power source had already been salvaged or it was the cause of the malfunction.

“This way,” Andrew said, leading the way to the bridge. It was a fairly standard cargo ship so it wasn’t difficult for him to find his way around.

The control room was seemingly untouched. Andrew grabbed a bag off the cart and handed it to Neil. “We’ve just got a skeleton crew so prioritize things that are easy to remove, circuits, chips, hologram cells, that type of stuff. If you see anything you aren’t sure of, just throw it in the bag. We’ll test it before we decide what to do with it and it will still be good for raw materials.”

Neil nodded and walked over to the main control panel, efficiently taking it apart and stripping it down. Andrew watched for a moment before starting on one of the secondary panels. They were getting close to filling their first two bags when Andrew felt a slight tremor under his feet. Neil didn’t even pause but Andrew knew what it was. Someone else was docking.

“That’s good,” Andrew said. “Load up.”

“We still have three more panels to dismantle,” Neil said. “Or do you have a curfew?”

“Fuck off,” Andrew said. “Someone just docked and it's either insurance people or another salvage crew. If it’s insurance people, we’ll have to leave anyway, and if it’s another salvage crew, it’s one that doesn’t respect first come, first served and we don’t have the manpower to enforce that.”

Neil looked disappointed but he set his bag down on the cart and started to make his way back down the hallway toward the ship.

They were nearly there when three large men in mirrored helmets stepped into the hallway in front of them, blocking their way.

“Minyard,” said a chillingly familiar voice. “I thought that was the Monster I saw out there.”

Andrew fought his instinct to turn and run. It took him a moment to compose himself enough to open his mouth. “Drake,” he hissed. “We’ve had this conversation before. I was here first. I claim salvage right.”

“I have fond memories of the last time we met, and the way I recall it, you weren’t the one doing the claiming,” Drake laughed, lifting the mirrored visor on his helmet to reveal blonde hair, a strong jaw, and dark brown eyes, nearly black in the dim light of the ship. He looked up and down Andrew’s form, not even bothering to disguise the lust in his eyes.

“We don’t want any trouble,” Neil said. “Just let us take our cargo and go.”

“And who’s this?” Drake asked, the note of interest in his voice making Andrew cringe and want nothing more then to withdraw to that place in his head where nothing mattered. “I thought it was your twin. Is this one under your protection too?”

“Yes,” Andrew said firmly.

“Well, you know the drill, come back with me to my ship for an hour and no one will touch your boy there,” Drake stepped forward, hand reaching out to grip Andrew’s shoulder.

_nonononononono_ , Andrew screamed internally, the volume rising in his head, and the fear freezing him in a state of inaction.

“No,” a voice rang out and for a moment, Andrew thought he had somehow projected his inner monologue into the air. But it was Neil, putting himself between them, hands raised in an aggressive stance.

“I don’t think you want to put yourself between me and something that belongs to me,” Drake growled, low and dangerous.

“Don’t tell me what I want to do,” Neil retorted. “Andrew doesn’t belong to you. He belongs to no one but himself.”

“Tell that to him.” Drake stepped closer, pushing Neil back into Andrew. Andrew expected the feeling of Neil pressing close would send him spiraling further into panic, but the touch grounded him instead.

“I belong to no one but myself,” Andrew said, his voice gravelly and strange to his own ears.

Drake stepped back, surprised. His face contorted with rage and he pulled a dagger from a sheath at his side and swung it at Neil.

Andrew cried out, taking a few steps backward and trying to drag Neil with him. Neil was too fast. In an instant, he grasped Drake’s hand at the wrist and used his own momentum to drive the knife up and into the left side of Drake’s throat. Blood bubbled out, hanging in the zero gravity like macabre balloons.

Drake clutched at his throat and dragged the knife out. More blood followed it and the fury in Drake’s eyes faded to the blankness of death. He relaxed, arms floating out and up, forever tethered in that place by his magnetic boots unless someone came to retrieve his corpse.

Drake’s crew members didn’t stick around to avenge their leader. They took one look at the grisly scene and hurried back to their ship.

It happened so fast that Andrew could hardly process it. One moment, his worst enemy was standing in front of him, and the next, he was gone forever.

He’s not sure how long he would have stayed there, paralyzed by shock, if a choking noise hadn’t sounded through the radio. Andrew looked up and realized that air was escaping Neil’s suit in a long jet of condensation.

He grabbed Neil’s shoulder and turned him to face him. Neil’s face was already turning blue as his lungs gasped for oxygen that was no longer present.

“Turn your boots off,” Andrew growled.

Neil nodded and turned them off, even as his eye started to droop and lose focus. Andrew grabbed Neil’s arms and dragged them around his neck. He turned his own boots off and pushed off the ground, propelling himself quickly down the hallway toward his ship. It felt like forever, waiting for the airlock to equalize with the Monster’s life support but as soon as he had the okay, he was ripping Neil’s helmet off.

Neil wasn’t breathing but when Andrew pulled off his gloves and pressed his fingers to his neck, he could feel Neil’s pulse, thready and weak but still present. He ripped his helmet off as well and started giving rescue breaths, filling Neil’s lungs with air. After five or six breaths, Neil choked, coughing, eyes fluttering open.

Andrew flopped back onto the floor of the airlock and gasped in relief. “Fuck,” he said.

Neil nodded, still hyperventilating as his face returned to a normal colour. “Fuck is right. Are all your missions usually this dramatic?”

A hysterical bubble of laughter climbed up Andrew’s throat and escaped before he could shove it back down. “No, this one was a little unusual.”

Neil nodded. “Do you want to go back out for our cargo?”

Andrew thought for a moment. “I really, really don’t.”


	3. Chapter 3

Neil flew them back to Palmetto. Andrew wanted to do it but his hands were still shaking from the adrenaline.

Neil landed the ship and stood to disembark.

“Wait,” Andrew said.

Neil stopped and looked at him.

“What kind of an idiot steps into a fight like that? Drake was twice your size at least. And he was armed,” Andrew said coldly.

“What? I…” Neil stepped back, blue eye widening.

“Fuck you and your disregard for your own life. As a member of my crew, you can’t do that anymore. You could have run, just taken my ship while Drake was busy with me and gotten out of here. I thought you were the running kind. I hate you for being the staying and fighting kind. Don’t be a fucking martyr,” Andrew spat out.

Neil just looked him in the eye, confused, and a little sad, but as Andrew finished his rant, a small sort of understanding crossed his face and his lips tilted up in a tiny smile. “You’re welcome,” he said.

The anger left Andrew in a rush and he felt very old and very tired. He realized he had a newfound respect for Wymack, who watched them go out and come back in, damaged and broken without a care for their own safety.

“Come on,” he said, leading Neil off the ship. “We’ll have a room for you. You’re well past due for some sleep.”

The room was small and contained little more than a bed and a nightstand. Neil walked in but didn’t lie down. He turned to face Andrew, saying nothing.

Andrew felt like he should say something. But what could he say to someone who had basically just slaughtered his abuser in front of him. _Thank you?_ or maybe _You were amazing?_ “No one will bother you here,” he said instead before turning and leaving the room. 

The door clicked shut and the lock turned behind him and Andrew ducked into the room right beside it. It wasn’t his bedroom, just another spare, but there had been a strange light in Neil’s eye, not like he was going to run, but more like he was planning to do something else that was very stupid.

Andrew had been dozing for a few hours when he heard the door to Neil’s room open. He listened for a little while, noting which way Neil went before following behind him.

Neil took a quick detour through the kitchen, probably to gather a few supplies, and then made a beeline for the Monster. He was working on the entry hatch when Andrew cleared his throat behind him.

“Andrew,” Neil said, strangely calm and collected for someone who had just been caught in the act. “Fancy meeting you here.”

“I meant what I said. If you’ve really decided you don’t want this, especially after today’s fantastic fucking mess, I will drop you anywhere you like. But don’t steal my ship,” Andrew said.

“I need it.” Neil’s fierce gaze met his.

“Why?” Andrew asked.

Neil deflated a little. “I can’t tell you.”

“And I can’t let you leave with my ship.”

“I suppose we’re at an impasse,” Neil said.

“I suppose we are.” Andrew crossed his arms and glared. “Did you leave something behind out there?”

Neil hesitated.

“Someone?” Andrew guessed.

A haunted look crossed Neil’s face. “He’s the only person who was ever kind to me. And who knows what they’ll do to him now that I’m gone.”

“So you’re going back into a situation that nearly killed you once? You really are a martyr.” Andrew took a step toward Neil and Neil shrunk away from him.

“I...can’t just leave him,” Neil said, even as he dropped his pack to the ground. He raised his fists and took a boxing stance.

Andrew rolled his eyes. “You won’t leave him behind and I won’t let you take my ship. I guess that leaves us with only one option.”

“What’s that?” Neil asked.

“I’ll be your getaway driver,” Andrew said, striding forward and placing his hand on the scanner to unlock the hatch.

“What? No! I can’t ask you to do that for me,” Neil protested.

“I’m not doing it for you.” Andrew glared. “I despise you. But I’m not letting my ship out of my sight.”

Neil opened his mouth to argue again but Andrew pushed past him into the ship. By the time Neil followed, Andrew was already doing his pre-flight checks and getting all systems ready for takeoff.

The trip went by far more quickly than Andrew expected. He navigated the first few jumps himself but he needed Neil to get him into the labyrinth.

At the very center was a giant spaceship, all hard lines and angles, ebony black and nearly invisible against the backdrop of space. It would have been undetectable to the naked eye if it didn’t block out the stars.

Neil shivered as the ship came into view.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Andrew asked.

Neil’s hands trembled but he set his face toward the ship and nodded once.

“I can’t go any closer,” Andrew said. “You’ll have to take the Pod. It has enough fuel to get you there and back but not a lot more. But it’s designed to register as space debris on most sensors so you should be able to get close undetected.”

Neil nodded and took a deep breath. “I’ll be back soon.”

“If you’re not back in an hour, I’ll leave without you.” Andrew gave him a mocking two-finger salute.

A few minutes later, Neil hailed him from the Pod’s communication system, his face a hologram hovering above the control panel. “I’m ready.”

Andrew pressed the button that ejected the Pod out into space and Neil was on his way.

The wait was excruciating. Andrew’s fingers itched for something to do. He pulled the disc out of his pocket and flipped it over, trying once more to open it or figure out what it was. It had been the only thing on Kevin when he was found and Andrew had kept it as a sort of worry stone ever since.

Whatever secrets it held, Andrew still could not discover them.

He was just starting to get worried when the communications system from the Pod switched back on and Neil’s face was in front of him once more.

“Andrew, it’s a trap. Tell Kevin, ‘volpes corvum’. Coordinates 8.385169347 M4-78102 to 9.354776 G8-7690658,” Neil spat out, face a mask of fear. His head snapped violently to the side from a blow by an off screen assailant. Seconds later, the hologram disappeared. Someone had cut the feed.

Andrew’s first instinct was to dive toward the ship and get Neil back before it was too late. But his second instinct took control of his fingers and punched in the coordinates Neil had given him before he was conscious of making the choice.

He plugged in the numbers for the jumps but he couldn’t relax as he left Neil behind. Something was nagging at him. He had thought Neil’s earlier reaction to Kevin was strange and this confirmed it. Neil knew Kevin from before.

Andrew didn’t want to think about it, didn’t want to remember, but he forced his flawless memory to bring it to the forefront. He needed to solve this if he were going to get Neil out of there.

_Chaos. The smell of blood and sweat. The sound of fists on flesh and rattling chain links. Red and green and black blood glistening in the glow of hot stage lights._

_Andrew turned to look at his companion. He was tall, with fair skin and dark hair. He moved with a languid grace that Andrew envied. He was unaffected, removed somehow from the dirt and sweat and grime of the arena. Andrew still was unsure why he had chosen this place for their meeting. He looked like the sort of person at home in luxury, throwing high tea and dinner parties with delicate music and scanty, fancy meals._

_“What are you hoping to get out of our arrangement?” Andrew asked, wanting to get the negotiation over and done with so he could leave this place._

_“Shh, watch the fight,” his nameless companion gestured back toward the arena._

_Andrew gritted his teeth, wishing he could cover his eyes and ears from the constant, confusing sensory input all around him. But it wouldn’t do to show weakness and it was not the right sort of place to willingly dull any of his senses._

_A tall humanoid was in the ring, facing off against an alien who looked something like a large boulder with eyes. The fight was not at all a close match. The humanoid had started off well. He was light on his feet and therefore moved much quicker than his opponent. But he could only keep it up for so long. One lucky blow to the back of the knee had the humanoid on the ground and then the boulder had no mercy._

_Andrew winced as he heard the crack of bones. The humanoid screamed in pain and cradled his now mangled hand to his chest. The alien was throwing blow after blow, not caring where he hit, going for sheer damage._

_Andrew’s contact chuckled lightly and Andrew leaned away from him in disgust. He wanted to look away. He wanted to leave._

_The humanoid crawled toward the edge of the ring, trying to get away, whimpering as bruises bloomed on every inch of exposed skin. Against all odds, his eyes locked with Andrew’s and the look of fear and pleading in his eyes had Andrew on his feet immediately._

_“Where are you going?” his contact asked. “The fight isn’t over yet, not until one of them is unconscious or dead.”_

_Andrew turned and scanned the walls, looking for something...he caught a glimpse of a silver panel on the wall behind him and, taking a chance, he drew his laser pistol and shot. The entire venue was plunged into darkness and confusion. Andrew was already moving, using his perfect memory to guide his feet in the dark. He pulled out his pocket laser and slashed through the chain link, leaving a glow of molten metal behind._

_“Someone’s freeing the prisoners,” a voice shouted from the crowd. Andrew reached blindly into the ring when the hole in the chain link was big enough. The humanoid had not moved since the lights went out and Andrew’s hand found flesh. He was not unconscious yet and Andrew managed to haul him out through the opening and started to drag him through the riot toward the closest exit._

_The lights blinked back on when they were almost out._

_“They’re getting away!” another voice shouted and Andrew was suddenly dragging a man who was a good foot taller than him through a maelstrom of various firepower. The only thing he didn’t remember later was the feeling of the bolt that got him. Adrenaline was coursing through his veins and all he could think of was escape._

_Aaron, who had been tasked with keeping the ship running and ready to leave, came running at Andrew’s shout when he staggered through the door._

_“Go,” Andrew shouted, dropping to his knees as soon as he was inside and the door was closed behind him._

_Aaron looked as if he wanted to say something but he obeyed, running back to the control room and getting them in the air so the autopilot could take them through their pre-scheduled jumps far faster than any of their pursuers._

_“What the fuck, Andrew?” Aaron demanded once he was no longer required to fly._

_The humanoid scrambled away from both of them, cowering against the wall of the ship._

_“I saved your life,” Andrew said. “You could say thank you.”_

_The humanoid’s face turned slightly green and he hurled on the ground in front of them. A small grey disc wrapped in some type of protective material hit the floor along with the vomit. Andrew stepped forward and reached down to pick it up. He’d never seen anything like it before. Halfway down, a wave of dizziness hit him and he dropped to his knees._

_“Andrew, your back, you’re bleeding,” Aaron said, voice full of horror._

_The pain hit Andrew full force, like a hot poker drilling through his shoulder blade. “Fuck,” he said as the wound caught up with him and took him under._

_He woke in the infirmary at Palmetto Salvage to a harried Abby, a furious and frantic brother and cousin, and a grateful man whose bruises were already much improved. He had been unconscious for nearly two weeks._

_The humanoid remembered nothing of his life before that fight in the arena save his name: Kevin. He didn’t know why he was there or who had put him there. He didn’t know why he had swallowed a strange disc and had no idea what it was or where it had come from._

_It hadn’t mattered. Andrew had been looking for an engineer for a while and while Kevin could not remember any personal details from his life, his hands knew everything about the fine workings of an engine. He had gifted the disc to Andrew to solve but had quickly forgotten about it as he adjusted to life on the Monster._

_Andrew never discovered where Kevin came from._

Jean gasped, startled out of a fitful sleep, as two Ravensguard forced their way into his room.

“What?” he asked, heart pounding wildly in his chest. “Get out.”

“The Master wants to see you,” one of them said. Jean didn’t know their names. They were nameless and faceless by design.

A pit of dread formed deep in Jean’s stomach. They must have found out somehow what he had done. He had covered his tracks so carefully. No one should have known. He didn’t even want to think of what it might mean.

They didn’t let him get dressed, dragging him toward the bridge in nothing but his threadbare underwear. They passed others in the hall but no one looked at Jean. They all averted their eyes, afraid that if they made a sound or stood out in any way, they would be next.

The two guards threw him to the ground in front of Tetsuji. Riko sat at his right hand, face twisted in a parody of a smile.

Jean looked to his right and a guttural cry tore itself out of his throat without permission, because hanging limply, unconscious, in the grasp of another two guards was a face he had missed so fucking much and had desperately wished he would never see again.

Riko stood and walked toward Nathaniel. “Jean, Jean, Jean,” he said. “How you’ve disappointed me. Not only is Nathaniel very much alive…” He grasped Nathaniel’s chin and pulled down. Reaching in, he pinched Nathaniel’s tongue between two cruel fingers and pulled it out as far as he could, “...but the tongue I’ve been displaying among my trophies is a FAKE!”

“I’m sorry,” Jean gasped. “I had to…”

“Had to what?” Riko sneered, giving Nathaniel’s tongue another hard tug. “Had to rob me of a valuable prosthesis? Had to steal one of my possessions and set him adrift in space? It’s a fucking shame. I didn’t want to kill you just yet. You still had some use left in you. What a waste.” 

Nathaniel’s eyes shot open and he gagged on Riko’s thick fingers. “Uck ou,” he struggled to say around the intrusion.

“Have you made your decision, nephew?” Tetsuji asked.

Riko released Nathaniel and wiped his fingers on his shirt with distaste. “I have. They have sinned beyond the chance for mercy and a quick death. I am going to send them to him.”

Nathaniel’s face went pale and Jean’s stomach dropped to his feet but neither of them protested. It was far too late to beg for mercy.

Riko went back to his seat. “He has three days. At the end of that time, I will come and see their final sentence carried out. If he kills them too soon, there will be consequences.”

The guards dragged them from the room and threw them into a small antechamber, leaving them alone.

“Why did you come back?” Jean said fiercely. “I got you out.”

“In what universe would I ever fail to come back for you?” Nathaniel asked, just as fierce.

“I was safe. Riko needed me,” Jean said.

“You were never safe,” Nathaniel scoffed. “Riko needs no one but himself.”

“Nathaniel…” Jean started.

“Call me Neil; Nathaniel is dead.”

“Neil,” Jean said, reaching out to touch Neil’s scarred cheek.

Neil leaned in, allowing himself to take comfort in Jean, letting himself be weak now, here at the end.

“You weren’t even supposed to be out yet. I linked the coffin to my life signal to keep you inside until either I could come for you or I was dead. The only person who could have opened it before that was…”

“Kevin,” Neil interrupted.

Jean looked at him, hope flooding through him. “Kevin’s alive? How?”

Neil shrugged. “I don’t know. But I saw him with my own eyes. He didn’t remember me but I think the trigger word might work, the one the Master uses to wipe his personal guards after sensitive meetings.”

“Too late for that now,” Jean said bitterly.

Neil’s face did something strange, a look Jean had never seen, like hope and fear mingled. Jean scooted closer. “We’re already going to die; no need to follow the rules of proximity any longer.”

Neil tipped over, collapsing into Jean’s side with a sigh. It had been far too long since either of them had been touched. Jean simultaneously wanted to scrub away the unfamiliar feeling and to crawl inside Neil’s skin and never leave.

“I found a place,” Neil whispered, so softly Jean could barely hear him. “It could have been...really good. I think if it didn’t mean leaving you here to die, I might have chosen to stop running.”

Jean’s heart squeezed in his chest like it had forgotten how to beat. “You fucking idiot. That’s why I sent you away. All I wanted was for someone to take care of you, to love you like I never could.”

“Don’t,” Neil said. “You’re my best friend. You’re my brother. You couldn’t have loved me any truer. I know losing Kevin has been like a wound, never closing all this time. But he’s happy. He’ll have the home we both cannot.”

Jean clutched Neil tighter. “Tell me about this home you found.”

“It’s small and kind of dirty and full of space garbage that nobody wants anymore,” Neil said.

“You’re not really selling me on it so far,” Jean interrupted.

Neil dug his sharp elbow into Jean’s side. “It was nice. They bandaged me up. They offered to give me a place to live and a job and they told me they would drop me off anywhere in the universe if I didn’t want to stay. There were no conditions.”

“Sounds nice,” Jean said. “I’m kind of glad Kevin will never remember this. Home and family are all he will know.”

Neil stiffened. “I told Andrew the trigger word.”

“What? Why? Who’s Andrew?” Jean sat up and pulled himself away from Neil.

“Andrew’s the one who offered me a home. And he’s the one who brought me here. I had to tell him. I couldn’t take the chance he would come after me. But Kevin is smart. He’ll talk Andrew out of it.” Neil chased Jean’s warmth but he twisted a little too far and his face contorted with pain.

“Fuck, Neil, what can I do?” Jean asked.

“Just tell me I did the right thing,” Neil panted.

Jean closed his eyes and remembered Kevin as he was on his last day, broken and terrified and clinging to Jean with an iron grip. He thought of Kevin free from those memories, free to make new ones and live a life unburdened by their shared past and, though he didn’t truly believe it, he whispered to Neil, “You did the right thing.”

The door opened then and a hulking figure loomed out of the darkness. “Welcome home, my son.”


	4. Chapter 4

The two jumps had taken Andrew back into familiar space and it wasn’t long before he returned to Palmetto Salvage.

He landed in his usual spot and sat there, hands still clenched around the controls. He had made a mistake leaving Neil, but it was too late to go back alone.

He landed; no one was there to greet him this time. It was possible he hadn’t been gone long enough for them to even notice his absence.

He rushed through his post-flight checks, left the ship, and ran. The crew of the Fox, Wymack’s other salvage ship, were all in the dining hall eating a leisurely brunch.

Renee was the first one to notice him. She stood immediately, coming toward him with a look of concern on her face but stopping short of actually touching him. “What’s wrong? Did something happen? Where’s your guest?”

Andrew opened his mouth to explain but all that came out was, “Where’s Kevin?”

Renee looked at him for a moment with a furrowed brow. “I think he’s still asleep. He probably has a vicious hangover after last night. Do you want me to call him?”

Andrew nodded, grateful for yes or no questions when he was still trying to figure out how to say what he needed to say.

“Do you want us to leave?” Renee continued.

Andrew paused and considered that for a moment before shaking his head decisively.

Renee nodded. “Should I get Wymack, Nicky, and Aaron too?” she asked.

Andrew nodded and collapsed into the nearest chair, folding his arms to lean on the table.

“What the fuck is going on, Minyard?” Allison asked, her screeching voice piercing right through his ears and into his brain.

He dropped his head onto his folded arms and said nothing as he waited for everyone to arrive.

Kevin was the last person to the dining hall and he walked in slowly, eyes squinting against the light, his grumpy stare directed at Andrew.

“What was so important that you couldn’t wait for me to wake up?” Kevin grumbled.

Andrew stood and walked in front of Kevin. “Vulpes corvum,” he said.

Kevin stared at him for a moment, uncomprehending. Then he squinted his eyes shut and cried out. His knees wobbled and his legs wouldn’t hold him. Renee was standing close and was quick enough with a chair that he didn’t fall to the ground. 

“Kevin?” Nicky shouted. “Oh my god, Andrew, what did you do?”

Andrew held up a hand, warning them all to stay back and they waited for several tense moments for Kevin to snap out of it.

Eventually, Kevin’s head snapped up and he looked around the room frantically. “Where’s Nathaniel?”

“Who’s Nathaniel?” Matt asked.

“Do you mean Neil?” Andrew asked.

Kevin dropped his head into his hands and squeezed his forehead. “Fuck, what did you do to me? I know he’s Neil and I’ve never seen him before a couple days ago but he’s also Nathaniel and I think I’ve known him all my life.”

Andrew could see the questions building in everyone around them. “Wait, just a few minutes more, and I’ll explain everything," he said. “You remember the place we found Neil, the labyrinth in space?” Andrew asked, turning back to Kevin. 

Kevin nodded once, wincing in pain at the movement. “He went back for Jean, didn’t he?” 

“He didn’t say who he was going back for but you’re probably right,” Andrew said.

“And he’s been captured?” Kevin asked. “That’s why he’s not here?”

Andrew just nodded.

Kevin looked like he was about to break down completely for a moment before he set his face in a stoic expression. “Then he’s already dead.” He stood on shaking legs.

Andrew stopped him with a hand. “I don’t accept that.”

“Well you should. You don’t even know who you’re dealing with,” Kevin said. “That’s Raven space.”

“The Ravens are a myth,” Allison scoffed. 

“They’re not. They try to keep a low profile. They would rather let other, smaller groups gain notoriety while they pull the strings from the darkness. But if you follow any criminal gang, any space pirate, any black market for long enough, they’ll eventually lead you to the Ravens. If you go after Neil now and by some miracle you manage to survive, you’ll be starting a war you can’t walk away from,” Kevin said, standing to leave the room. “Besides, I’m not even sure I could find the place without Neil. I’m not exactly the math genius he is.”

Andrew wasn’t sure if he should be so invested already. He hadn’t known Neil for very long and most of what he knew made him untrustworthy. Neil was a runaway in desperate need of a home, but so had Andrew before Wymack took him in and gave him a job. There were so many questions Neil still had yet to answer, but Andrew could find out the answers as long as he was willing to offer truth in exchange. Neil was a problem, but he had killed for him without a moment’s hesitation, rid Andrew of his abuser in one moment of beautiful violence and Andrew didn’t feel like he could just close the book and move on.

“Just answer one more question,” Andrew said, pulling the strange disc out of his pocket. “What’s this?”

Kevin stopped dead and came back toward Andrew. “You found it? I thought it was long gone.” He reached out a hand to take it but Andrew put it behind his back.

“Tell me what it is and I’ll give it to you,” he said.

Kevin glared. “Give it to me and I’ll tell you what it is.’

Andrew rolled his eyes and set it on the table beside them. 

Kevin reached out and touched it softly with one finger. “It’s everything. Before you found me, the Ravens were going through a power struggle. The old head, Kengo Moriyama had died, leaving his first son, Ichirou, as his heir. Tetsuji, Kengo’s brother, took the opportunity to ally with Riko, Kengo’s second son, and seized power. In the chaos, Ichirou disappeared. Riko...he uh...he owned me, Neil and Jean too. He always kept a pretty close eye on us but he was too busy and it gave us a little breathing room. So the three of us hatched a plan of escape and this was step one.”

“That still doesn’t tell us what it is,” Matt said. 

Andrew shot him a glare and gestured for Kevin to go on.

“It’s the ship, the Evermore. This contains all the blueprints, all the codes, calculations to help navigate the labyrinth, even the key to hacking Tetsuji’s Ravensguard. With this information, we could get out, steal a ship, and hide somewhere Riko would never find us. But I was caught and it’s a bit fuzzy but I’m assuming Riko wiped my memory and sent me to die,” Kevin said.

“With this information, could we go in and rescue Neil?” Andrew asked.

Kevin hesitated. “It would still be risky. And they really might be dead already...but the odds would be better.”

Andrew stood and turned to face the rest of the people in the room. “I’m not going to ask any of you to risk your lives for me.”

Renee came forward to stand beside Andrew. “You don’t have to ask. I’m in.”

Allison followed her girlfriend. “I don’t like it but I’m coming to watch her back.”

Matt and Dan were next to stand and promise their help. Nicky enthusiastically followed.

Aaron hesitated but eventually he joined them as well. Katelyn was ready to join them but Aaron held her back, whispering in her ear. Andrew’s eyes narrowed as he noticed Aaron’s hand resting protectively on her flat stomach for one fleeting moment. Katelyn sat back down.

“If you need any help coordinating from here, I’m your girl,” she smiled. “And I’ll help Abby stock the infirmary and get ready. Just in case. I’m choosing to assume you won’t need it.”

Kevin nodded, looking oddly smaller than he had just that morning, as if all the knowledge that had flooded his brain had physically weighed him down. “Give me some time to look through this and see what I have. I’ll come back to you with a plan.”

  
  


It was only two hours but it felt like a lifetime before Kevin appeared again to announce that he knew how they were going to rescue Neil and Jean. Andrew and the others had spent most of their time fiddling around their two ships, making sure to do any last minute maintenance tasks they might have put off. They wanted them to be running at peak performance since they likely would have to make a quick getaway.

Andrew was under the holoscreen and calibrating it when he heard Kevin’s footsteps coming toward him. He finished a last minor adjustment and crawled back out to meet him. Kevin looked haggard and tired.

“You have it?” Andrew asked.

Kevin shrugged.

“Kevin, do you have it?” Andrew asked again, sharper this time.

Kevin nodded. “We’re probably all going to die but I never thought I’d live this long anyway.”

“That’s comforting.” Andrew rubbed his hands on his pants, leaving yet another grease stain that would never come out. “I’ll go tell the others.”

“I’ll need to reset the shields,” Kevin said. “I can take advantage of a blind spot in their surveillance system. We’ll be mostly undetectable.”

Andrew nodded. It was difficult to leave Kevin unattended to tinker with his precious ship but the control room was too cramped to hold them all.

Everyone was gathered out under the dome. They had tried to relax, get some rest, but most of them had given up. Andrew felt a prickling at the back of his throat. They barely knew Neil, and he had yet to confess to any of them what had happened with Drake. They were here because they believed him and they supported him. In all his years bouncing from home to home, he had never thought he would get to this point.

Kevin climbed out of the Monster and immediately went to the Fox without acknowledging any of them, presumably to make his alterations. It was another silent and tense ten minutes before Kevin came back down and stood before them, exhaustion written in every feature.

“What’s the plan?” Andrew asked impatiently.

Kevin slumped a little farther. “You’ve all been good to me, taking me in and giving me a home even though you had no idea what secrets were behind me. I don’t want you all to die because I couldn’t escape my past.”

“We’ve already had this discussion with Andrew,” Matt said. “We know the risks and we’ve decided to come with you. We all have one thing in common. None of us come from happiness. All of us needed more chances than the universe was willing to give us. This family we’ve carved out for ourselves is precious and I know I would likely be dead if Wymack hadn’t found me and offered me this place. As far as I’m concerned, Neil is already one of us and that means we will not leave him behind if we have any other choice.”

Kevin nodded. He scrubbed his hand down his face in an effort to compose himself, and cleared his throat. He flipped up a panel on the disc, one that Andrew had never found, no matter how many hours he had looked at the thing, and he pressed a couple small buttons. A hologram of the Raven ship hung in the air.

“There are a couple areas Neil and Jean might have been taken. We’ll need to split up and check, but I think the most likely location is here.” Kevin pressed another button and zoomed in on a large chamber near the center of the ship. “That’s where they keep the Butcher, a sadistic man whose life has been devoted to the art of torture. Riko loses what little sense he has when people betray him and Neil's short-lived escape will seem like the ultimate betrayal.”

“Not to point out the obvious, but this Riko sounds pretty nuts and I doubt he’d take well to us just popping in and exploring his ship,” Allison interrupted.

Kevin grinned and looked almost like his old, unburdened, self. “This is where my absolute genius comes in. I have the blueprints for the Ravensguard. Tetsuji wiped their minds like he did to me but also input a bunch of code to make them highly suggestable. The armor they wear creates a neural link that can be directed by either Tetsuji or Riko. And I figured out how to interrupt that process and control them myself. When we land on the ship, I’ll have several of them waiting in the cargo bay. All we’ll need to do is strip them of their armor and restrain them and then we will have the run of the ship. It won’t last forever since some of them are on preset patrol routes, but it should give us enough time to get in, get Neil and Jean, and get out.”

“It’s...better than some of the plans we’ve made in the past,” Allison conceded. “Hey Aaron, do you remember the Black Grim of Gilerian 7?”

“Fuck you,” Aaron said. “Anyone could have miscounted.”

“Thankfully,” Dan interrupted, “Fucking things up does not prevent one from finding a home here. In fact, it’s basically a prerequisite. “Now, I believe time is of the essence.”

Andrew moved to stand beside Kevin. “Last chance to turn back.”

No one moved.

“Okay,” Andrew said, taking a deep breath. “Stick close. If things go sideways and you see a way out, take it. We don’t all need to die.”

“It won’t come to that,” Renee said, determination plain on her face.

Andrew turned and climbed into his ship, Kevin, Nicky, and Aaron following after him. Kevin put coordinates up on the screen and they took their first jump.

  
  


Jean turned his head away, trying to block out the sound of Neil screaming. The Butcher had strapped Jean to a rack immediately after pulling them from the antechamber and then promptly ignored him in favour of Neil. 

The Butcher had begun with the knives, mostly leaving small superficial cuts on Neil’s arms and legs. They bled a little and would hurt a lot but wouldn’t kill him. It went on for an interminably long time, Neil refusing to do much more than grunt in pain as the Butcher steadily grew more irate.

The Butcher had soon graduated to electrical shock and Neil had grown far less stoic. He was screaming and Jean could feel streams of tears dripping down the side of his face and wetting his hair. Jean stopped being afraid that Neil would die, and started being afraid that he would live for the entire three days Riko had given them.

“This won’t do,” the Butcher said after Neil’s screams became weaker. Jean could hear footsteps coming toward him and squeezed his eyes shut. “The whole point of having two at once is so one can watch.”

Jean felt big strong hands around his head, wrenching him around to face Neil.

“Watch,” the Butcher said. For the first time since he had appeared out of the shadows, Jean actually looked at their torturer.

He hadn’t known where Neil had come from. He had been only eight when Neil had appeared, a child of five who was already scarred more than most adults and who had immediately latched on to him and Kevin. The Butcher had already been locked away, the bogeyman beneath their feet, Kengo’s pet torturer. No one saw him unless they were the next to die.

But now, faced with familiar auburn red curls and ice blue eyes filled with an unfamiliar madness, Jean suddenly realized something about Neil’s past that he really wished he didn’t. This violence, this mad cruelty, was where Neil had come from.

The Butcher grinned, exposing white, white teeth in his red-spattered face. “That’s better.”

“Leave him alone, Nathan,” Neil spoke, voice hoarse and raspy from screams, weak from blood loss, but full of hate.

“Children these days. They show no respect for their parents. You could have followed in my footsteps if you weren’t so weak,” the Butcher growled.

“‘Cause this is something to aspire to,” Neil spat. “You’re nothing more than a trained dog, chained up here so you can be useful. But you’ll never be free. You’ll never be more than this.”

The Butcher roared and backhanded Neil across the face. “And you’ll never be more than the pathetic lump of flesh at the end of my knife.”

Neil shrugged, even though Jean could see how much it hurt him. “But I could have been. And I know you hated me for that.”

“I was going to wait to cut out your tongue until Riko arrived to watch. But you don’t need it.” The Butcher smiled coldly and gripped Neil’s chin.

Two Ravensguard entered the chamber, distracting the Butcher from his task. “I said I didn’t want to be disturbed.”

One of the Ravensguard lifted their weapon and Nathan’s head exploded in a shower of crimson, bits of brain matter covering Neil and even reaching Jean. The Butcher’s body collapsed, all life gone from him in an instant.

Jean couldn’t breathe. He didn’t know what was happening. He looked at Neil; fear and hope warred inside him and he could see the same struggle on Neil’s face.

The Ravensguard reached up and pulled off their helmets to reveal a short, blond man with a well entrenched scowl on his face and another man that Jean had never thought he’d see again.

“Kevin?” Jean gasped before he was practically suffocated by all six feet of Kevin’s lean frame trying to crawl into his lap at once.

The blond went straight for Neil and began fiddling with the restraints, trying to release them.

“Andrew,” Neil said groggily. “You were supposed to stay away.”

“My crew still needs a navigator,” Andrew said. “I was too lazy to put an ad out.”

A tired smile spread itself across Neil’s face. “Sorry for the inconvenience.”

Jean’s focus on Neil was interrupted as Kevin stopped burying his face in Jean’s chest and finally leaned up for a kiss. He tasted salt from sweat and tears and the sweet coppery scent of blood still lingered in his nostrils but it was the best kiss he’d ever had.

“Sorry to interrupt this touching reunion,” a voice interrupted. Kevin stiffened, clutching Jean tightly. They both looked toward the door to see Riko, the hallways behind him filled by Ravensguard. “You didn’t think you could actually steal what’s mine, did you?”

  


Andrew’s skin crawled as the two Ravensguard holding him stripped away his uniform, but he fought to keep his face impassive. He tried to keep an eye on Neil but he had quickly disappeared in a sea of black.

They were taken to the bridge of the ship. Between the carved stone statues lining the walls, and the opulent captain’s chair that stood imposingly at the center, it looked more like a throne room from a castle on Earth Prime than it did a control room for a spaceship.

Tetsuji Moriyama waited for them there. Andrew had honestly expected more. He sat in the captain’s chair but he could see how frail the old man looked and how he deferred to his nephew. Whatever happened, they could not count on Tetsuji to be a voice of reason.

Riko paced around the room, trying to look regal no doubt, but mostly coming across as furious and more than a little bit crazy. He looked over every few minutes to gauge their reactions, probably trying to make them squirm. Andrew yawned, keeping eye contact with Riko the entire time. Riko’s face turned red but he was the first to look away and go back to his pacing.

He hadn’t heard from any of the others since they had split up to search the ship and he hoped they were back on board the two ships, already on their way to Palmetto Salvage. 

Neil appeared out of the crowd. His face was tired and his eyelid around the prosthetic was once again so swollen he couldn’t open it. He was covered in his torturer’s blood and was relying on the support from the two guards holding him to remain on his feet.

Andrew retraced their steps through his memory, wondering what they could have done differently to avoid getting caught. But there was nothing he could think of, besides never coming after Neil in the first place. And the memory of the relief on Neil’s face when Andrew had removed his helmet made him more sure than ever that that had not been an option.

“You have been getting into trouble, Nathaniel,” Riko said after a few more minutes of waiting for them to crack. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

Neil glared back and said nothing.

“Answer me!” Riko shouted, striding forward and looming over Neil.

Neil spat in his face.

Riko reared back, a glob of spittle and blood sliding slowly down his cheek in a parody of a tear. He nodded to one of the Ravensguard standing by and they immediately stepped forward and slammed a fist into Neil’s stomach.

“I will cut your friends down where you stand,” Riko threatened. “You came back for Jean. Somehow you found Kevin. You even made some new friends. But all they are are new weaknesses.”

Neil looked Riko in the eye, a violent grin spreading across his swollen face, exposing bloody teeth. “Come now, Riko, let’s get to the heart of the matter. Sure, you’re angry that one of your toys tried to leave you, tried to have an existence apart from you. But that’s not what’s killing you now. You know that no matter what you do or how long it takes, you will never have anyone in your life who would come back for you. Your father favoured your brother. Your brother planned to ship you off somewhere where you wouldn’t be an embarrassment the moment he took the throne. And the Master, the Master is weak. He may follow you now because you’re on top, but if a better option comes along he holds no loyalty to you.”

Andrew watched, still careful to keep his face from revealing his true feelings, mostly fear, but also a tiny realization that he was sad that this was where everything ended. He would never fly a real salvage run with Neil as his navigator. He would never get to see Neil tear strips off another overinflated bully. He would never see Neil again.

Riko was seething. He slapped Neil across the face with an open hand and an inarticulate screech of rage. “Bring in the other prisoners.”

Andrew’s heart sunk to his feet as another squad of Ravensguard marched in the rest of the Foxes, all at least a little dazed and beaten.

Neil’s defiance flickered for just a moment, leaving Andrew to catch a fleeting look of guilt. “You can do whatever you want to me. You don’t have to do anything to them.”

“You don’t seem to have gotten it through your head, Nathaniel. You can’t tell me what to do. You can’t bargain with me. You have no leverage. I’ve won. I will kill all your friends, one by one in front of you and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it.” Riko laughed maniacally.

“That’s where you’re wrong,” a calm and refined, and somehow familiar voice came from the Ravensguard to Andrew’s left. He released Andrew and stepped toward Riko, removing his helmet to reveal a noble face framed by long, immaculate black hair. Surprised, Andrew recognized him as his contact at the arena the day he rescued Kevin.

“Ichirou,” Riko said, face going pale. “I thought you were dead.”

“Tsk tsk, Brother. There should not be lies between us. You hoped I was dead. You tried to ensure I was dead. There is a difference.” Ichirou smirked.

“It doesn’t matter,” Riko snarled. “You’re too late. I have an army and you have a ragtag bunch of space pirates who are already my prisoners.”

“Wrong again,” Ichirou smiled. He snapped his graceful fingers and every Ravensguard in the room snapped to attention, releasing their prisoners and turning toward Ichirou to await his next order. “You have nothing.”

Riko roared and lunged for his older brother. Two of the Ravensguard stepped forward and grabbed him by the arms, snatching him right out of the air and holding him firmly.

Ichirou stepped forward and placed his slender hands on either side of Riko’s face. Riko looked like he was going to pull away before relenting and leaning just a little bit into the comfort.

“There would always have been a place for you at my side,” Ichirou crooned. 

Riko’s eye’s closed and he sagged a little toward his brother.

“But it’s too late,” Ichirou whispered, low enough that Andrew strained to hear him. Without a wasted movement, he gripped Riko’s head tightly and twisted sharply. A crack rang out through the room and Riko dropped to the floor.

Tetsuji let out a single sob but immediately muffled it with his hands.

Ichirou nodded to the Ravensguard, still standing on either side of Riko’s body. “You two can take out the trash.”

Neil’s knees buckled then without anyone to hold him up. Andrew moved forward to catch him, half expecting to be apprehended again, but no one stopped him from reaching Neil’s side. He only intended to cushion Neil’s journey to the floor but once he had lowered him down, Neil clutched tight to the front of Andrew’s shirt and wouldn’t let him go.

“What do you plan to do with us?” Matt asked.

Ichirou turned. “You’ve been very helpful. I see no need for you to die if you promise to remain useful.”

“What do you want?” Andrew asked.

“What I wanted before, a percentage of your profit in exchange for first claim on every piece of salvage I can find with my vast resources. And, unofficially of course, your type of people can often hear whispers long before they reach my ears,” Ichirou said smoothly. “You will be under my protection as long as you follow my rules and prove to be of use to me.”

Andrew looked down at Neil. Neil nodded. “It’s a good deal,” he whispered through his raw throat.

Andrew looked up and met Ichirou’s eyes. “We can take Jean and Kevin with us as well?”

Ichirou waved his hand dismissively. “I have no interest in my brother’s pets.”

Andrew stood, helping Neil to his feet. Around him, the Foxes stepped away from their captors. Jean and Kevin clutched each other in the center of it all, both of them dazed and unable to believe it was over.

Andrew half expected them to get stopped on their way back to their ships but no one even glanced their way as they trudged down the hallway. He still didn’t breathe easy until they had all boarded, Matt, Dan, Allison, Aaron, and Renee on one ship, Andrew, Nicky, Jean, Kevin, and Neil in the other. Nicky disappeared to the ship kitchen almost immediately, whipping up one of his stress relief concoctions no doubt. Andrew hoped he was tipping more toward the sweet than the savory this time. Neil looked absolutely exhausted but he refused to leave the comfort of the control room to rest.

Kevin and Jean stayed with them, still practically sealed together. They had yet to speak since Ichirou had let them go.

“Kevin,” Andrew said over his shoulder, “Bring the bag chair for Neil.”

Kevin reluctantly removed himself from Jean’s arms and left the control room, coming back a few minutes later with a large black sack. It was something of Andrew’s invention, made for nights when his own bed felt suffocating and he needed wide open spaces. He had sewn together a couple of the softest blankets he could find in the Igrella Space Market and he had stuffed the resulting sack with old spaceship insulation torn into tiny pieces. It resulted in a comfortable chair that cradled his body just right.

Neil practically collapsed into it with a sigh of relief and snuggled in, his eyes drooping almost immediately.

Kevin finally spoke, speaking softly to Jean. “I missed you so much.”

Jean pressed his forehead to Kevin’s. “How could you? You didn’t remember me.”

“My heart remembered you,” Kevin said.

Andrew whirled around to face them. “Out.”

“What?” Kevin asked, shrinking back.

“You have a bedroom. Go use it,” Andrew growled at them.

Kevin turned bright red but he did not argue. He led Jean by the hand out of the control room.

“Don’t be too hard on them,” Neil yawned. “Their moments together were few and far between.”

Andrew grimaced but changed the subject. “Your eye, what does it do?”

Neil looked up at him. “I...don’t really know actually. It’s been mostly too swollen to see out of since I got it. And even when it wasn’t, my brain hasn’t quite figured out how to interpret the stimulus it’s receiving. I was starting to see a little more clearly out of it before I got punched in the face. Jean would know. He’s the one who installed it.”

“I guess we have time to find out,” Andrew said.

“Yeah,” Neil replied, voice going bright and soft with wonder. “We have time.”

Andrew snuck a glance at Neil, only to see that Neil was looking at him with this soft, funny smile that was causing weird sensations in Andrew’s chest.

“Staring,” Andrew said.

Neil shrugged. “So?”

“You’re looking at me like I’m an answer. I’m not.” Andrew glared over at Neil.

“In a very short time you’ve shown me that I’m the type of person to go back for someone else and that I’m worth going back for,” Neil said slowly, choosing his words carefully.

A dull heat started in Andrew’s ears and crept across his cheeks. “Good navigators are hard to find.” 

Neil laughed lightly and snuggled deeper into the chair. He stretched his leg out, cautiously, until it was mere inches from Andrew’s. “Is this okay?”

Andrew didn’t answer with words, moving his leg until their calves were pressing together and Andrew could feel the heat of Neil, warm and alive and right next to him. “Go to sleep,” he said.

And Neil did.


End file.
